Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “surface codes”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,171 records · Page 65

L2-Charged Particle Environment (L2-CPE)Low Energy Radiation Fluence Model

The L2 Charged Particle Environment (L2-CPE) model provides estimates of number flux and fluence for the low energy electron, proton, and alpha particle populations in the near Earth solar wind and the Earth’s distant magnetosheath and magnetotail. The model is an engineering tool for specifying radiation environments over an energy range from a few eV to a few MeV of importance to surface dose and radiation damage to thin space exposed materials and is intended for use in space system design applications. Mission fluences are obtained by simulating a spacecraft flight trajectory through time-dependent bow shock and magnetopause boundaries with dimensions and orientations driven by solar wind parameters. Monte Carlo sampling of flux environments within individual plasma regimes and/or fluence accumulated along a fight trajectory through multiple regimes is used to determine statistical variations (means and extremes) of the differential number flux and fluence environments for each of the three charged particle species. Model output is differential (in energy) number fluence and flux for the three particle species in units of particles/cm2-keV and particles/cm2-sec-keV, respectively. Users can select the energy range of interest but the current version of the code (L2-CPE Version 1.4.2d) is limited to an energy range of 1 eV to 10 MeV. Flux is integrated over angle to give flux and fluence to surfaces in the ±XGSE, ±YGSE, and/or ±ZGSE directions. Figure 1 shows the opening screen from the L2-CPE graphical user interface (GUI) with options for flux, fluence, plotting model output. The flux scene generate is not currently implemented in the GUI.

Joseph I Minow↗

Synegies Between Visible/Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometry and the Thermal Infrared in an Urban Environment: An Evaluation of the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HYSPIRI) Mission

A majority of the human population lives in urban areas and as such, the quality of urban environments is becoming increasingly important to the human population. Furthermore, these areas are major sources of environmental contaminants and sinks of energy and materials. Remote sensing provides an improved understanding of urban areas and their impacts by mapping urban extent, urban composition (vegetation and impervious cover fractions), and urban radiation balance through measures of albedo, emissivity and land surface temperature (LST). Recently, the National Research Council (NRC) completed an assessment of remote sensing needs for the next decade (NRC, 2007), proposing several missions suitable for urban studies, including a visible, near-infrared and shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometer and a multispectral thermal infrared (TIR) instrument called the Hyperspectral Infrared Imagery (HyspIRI). In this talk, we introduce the HyspIRI mission, focusing on potential synergies between VSWIR and TIR data in an urban area. We evaluate potential synergies using an Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and MODIS-ASTER (MASTER) image pair acquired over Santa Barbara, United States. AVIRIS data were analyzed at their native spatial resolutions (7.5m VSWIR and 15m TIR), and aggregated 60 m spatial resolution similar to HyspIRI. Surface reflectance was calculated using ACORN and a ground reflectance target to remove atmospheric and sensor artifacts. MASTER data were processed to generate estimates of spectral emissivity and LST using Modtran radiative transfer code and the ASTER Temperature Emissivity Separation algorithm. A spectral library of common urban materials, including urban vegetation, roofs and roads was assembled from combined AVIRIS and field-measured reflectance spectra. LST and emissivity were also retrieved from MASTER and reflectance/emissivity spectra for a subset of urban materials were retrieved from co-located MASTER and AVIRIS pixels. Fractions of Impervious, Soil, Green Vegetation (GV) and Non-photosynthetic Vegetation (NPV), were estimated using Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA) applied to AVIRIS data at 7.5, 15 and 60 m spatial scales. Surface energy parameters, including albedo, vegetation cover fraction, broadband emissivity and LST were also determined for urban and natural land-cover classes in the region. Fractions were validated using 1m digital photography.

Roberts, Dar A.↗

A general multiblock Euler code for propulsion integration. Volume 3: User guide for the Euler code

This manual explains the procedures for using the general multiblock Euler (GMBE) code developed under NASA contract NAS1-18703. The code was developed for the aerodynamic analysis of geometrically complex configurations in either free air or wind tunnel environments (vol. 1). The complete flow field is divided into a number of topologically simple blocks within each of which surface fitted grids and efficient flow solution algorithms can easily be constructed. The multiblock field grid is generated with the BCON procedure described in volume 2. The GMBE utilizes a finite volume formulation with an explicit time stepping scheme to solve the Euler equations. A multiblock version of the multigrid method was developed to accelerate the convergence of the calculations. This user guide provides information on the GMBE code, including input data preparations with sample input files and a sample Unix script for program execution in the UNICOS environment.

Chen, H. C.↗

Inlet Spillage Drag Predictions Using the AIRPLANE Code

AIRPLANE (Jameson/Baker) is a steady inviscid unstructured Euler flow solver. It has been validated on many HSR geometries. It is implemented as MESHPLANE, an unstructured mesh generator, and FLOPLANE, an iterative flow solver. The surface description from an Intergraph CAD system goes into MESHPLANE as collections of polygonal curves to generate the 3D mesh. The flow solver uses a multistage time stepping scheme with residual averaging to approach steady state, but R is not time accurate. The flow solver was ported from Cray to IBM SP2 by Wu-Sun Cheng (IBM); it could only be run on 4 CPUs at a time because of memory limitations. Meshes for the four cases had about 655,000 points in the flow field, about 3.9 million tetrahedra, about 77,500 points on the surface. The flow solver took about 23 wall seconds per iteration when using 4 CPUs. It took about eight and a half wall hours to run 1,300 iterations at a time (the queue limit is 10 hours). A revised version of FLOPLANE (Thomas) was used on up to 64 CPUs to finish up some calculations at the end. We had to turn on more communication when using more processors to eliminate noise that was contaminating the flow field; this added about 50% to the elapsed wall time per iteration when using 64 CPUs. This study involved computing lift and drag for a wing/body/nacelle configuration at Mach 0.9 and 4 degrees pitch. Four cases were considered, corresponding to four nacelle mass flow conditions.

Thomas, Scott D.↗

Differential GPS and system integration of the Low Visibility Landing and Surface Operations (LVLASO) demonstration

The LVLASO Flight Demonstration of ASTA concepts (FDAC) integrates NASA-Langley's electronic moving map display and Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV) (a modified Boeing 737 aircraft); ARINC's VHF data link, GPS ground station, and automated controller workstation; and Norden's surface radar/airport movement safety system. Aircraft location is shown on the electronic map display in the cockpit. An approved taxi route as well as other aircraft and surface traffic are also displayed. An Ashtech Z12 Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver on the TSRV estimates the aircraft's position. In Differential mode (DSPS), the Ashtech receiver accepts differential C/A code pseudorange corrections from a GPS ground station. The GPS ground station provides corrections up to ten satellites. The corrections are transmitted on a VHF data link at a 1 Hz. rate using the RTCM-104 format. DGPS position estimates will be within 5 meters of actual aircraft position. DGPS position estimates are blended with position, velocity, acceleration, and heading data from the TSRV Air Data/Inertial Reference System (ADIRS). The ADIRS data is accurate in the short-term, but drifts over time. The DGPS data is used to keep the ADIRS position accurate. Ownship position, velocity, heading, and turn rate are sent at a 20 Hz. rate to the electronic map display. Airport traffic is detected by the airport surface radar system. Aircraft and vehicles such as fuel trucks and baggage carts are detected. The traffic's location, velocity, and heading are sent to the TSRV. To prevent traffic symbology from jumping each second when a location update arrives, velocity and heading are used to predict a new traffic location for each display update. Possible runway incursions and collisions can be shown on the electronic map. Integrating the different systems used in the FDAC requires attention to the underlying coordinate systems. The airport diagram displayed on the electronic map is obtained from published navigational charts. The charts reference the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27) or a local state-plane coordinate system. GPS uses the World Geodetic Standard of 1984 (WGS84). Both NAD27 and WGS84 model the Earth as an ellipsoid, however, they use a different origin and different size ellipsoids. Latitudes and longitudes given in these systems can be converted to a Cartesian system with the origin at the Earth's center. The surface radar detects traffic in a locally-level, rho-theta coordiante system. The electronic airport diagram is stored using a flat XY coordinate system. The map origin is at the tower and is referenced as True North up. All ownship and other traffic positions must be converted to the electronic map's frame of reference for display.

Rankin, James M.↗

Development of Response Surface Models for Rapid Analysis & Multidisciplinary Optimization of Launch Vehicle Design Concepts

Multdisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is an important step in the design and evaluation of launch vehicles, since it has a significant impact on performance and lifecycle cost. The objective in MDO is to search the design space to determine the values of design parameters that optimize the performance characteristics subject to system constraints. Vehicle Analysis Branch (VAB) at NASA Langley Research Center has computerized analysis tools in many of the disciplines required for the design and analysis of launch vehicles. Vehicle performance characteristics can be determined by the use of these computerized analysis tools. The next step is to optimize the system performance characteristics subject to multidisciplinary constraints. However, most of the complex sizing and performance evaluation codes used for launch vehicle design are stand-alone tools, operated by disciplinary experts. They are, in general, difficult to integrate and use directly for MDO. An alternative has been to utilize response surface methodology (RSM) to obtain polynomial models that approximate the functional relationships between performance characteristics and design variables. These approximation models, called response surface models, are then used to integrate the disciplines using mathematical programming methods for efficient system level design analysis, MDO and fast sensitivity simulations. A second-order response surface model of the form given has been commonly used in RSM since in many cases it can provide an adequate approximation especially if the region of interest is sufficiently limited.

Unal, Resit↗

Numerical Simulation of a Simplified High-Lift CRM Configuration Embedded with Fluidic Actuators

Numerical simulations have been performed for a simplified high-lift configuration that is representative of a modern transport airplane. This configuration includes a leading-edge slat, fuselage, wing, nacelle-pylon and a simple hinged flap. The suction surface of the flap is embedded with multiple rows of fluidic actuators to reduce the extent of reversed flow regions and improve the aerodynamic performance of the configuration with flap in a deployed state. In the current paper, a Lattice Boltzmann Method based high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, known as PowerFLOW® is used to simulate the entire flow field associated with this configuration, including the flow inside the actuators. A fully compressible version of the PowerFLOW® code that has been validated for high speed flows is used for the present simulations to accurately represent the transonic flow regimes that are encountered in the flow field generated by the actuators operating at higher mass flow (momentum) rates required to mitigate reverse flow regions on the suction surfaces of the main wing and the flap. The numerical solutions predict the expected trends in aerodynamic forces as the actuation levels are increased. More efficient active flow control (AFC) systems and actuator arrangement for lift augmentation are emerging based on the parametric studies conducted here prior to wind tunnel tests. These numerical solutions will be compared with experimental data, once such data becomes available.

Vatsa, Veer N.↗

Users Manual for the NASA Lewis Ice Accretion Prediction Code (LEWICE)

LEWICE is an ice accretion prediction code that applies a time-stepping procedure to calculate the shape of an ice accretion. The potential flow field is calculated in LEWICE using the Douglas Hess-Smith 2-D panel code (S24Y). This potential flow field is then used to calculate the trajectories of particles and the impingement points on the body. These calculations are performed to determine the distribution of liquid water impinging on the body, which then serves as input to the icing thermodynamic code. The icing thermodynamic model is based on the work of Messinger, but contains several major modifications and improvements. This model is used to calculate the ice growth rate at each point on the surface of the geometry. By specifying an icing time increment, the ice growth rate can be interpreted as an ice thickness which is added to the body, resulting in the generation of new coordinates. This procedure is repeated, beginning with the potential flow calculations, until the desired icing time is reached. The operation of LEWICE is illustrated through the use of five examples. These examples are representative of the types of applications expected for LEWICE. All input and output is discussed, along with many of the diagnostic messages contained in the code. Several error conditions that may occur in the code for certain icing conditions are identified, and a course of action is recommended. LEWICE has been used to calculate a variety of ice shapes, but should still be considered a research code. The code should be exercised further to identify any shortcomings and inadequacies. Any modifications identified as a result of these cases, or of additional experimental results, should be incorporated into the model. Using it as a test bed for improvements to the ice accretion model is one important application of LEWICE.

Ruff, Gary A.↗

Development of a Model and Computer Code to Describe Solar Grade Silicon Production Processes

The program aims at developing mathematical models and computer codes based on these models, which allow prediction of the product distribution in chemical reactors for converting gaseous silicon compounds to condensed-phase silicon. The major interest is in collecting silicon as a liquid on the reactor walls and other collection surfaces. Two reactor systems are of major interest, a SiCl4/Na reactor in which Si(l) is collected on the flow tube reactor walls and a reactor in which Si(l) droplets formed by the SiCl4/Na reaction are collected by a jet impingement method. During this quarter the following tasks were accomplished: (1) particle deposition routines were added to the boundary layer code; and (2) Si droplet sizes in SiCl4/Na reactors at temperatures below the dew point of Si are being calculated.

Srivastava, R.↗

Prediction of incidence and surface roughness effects on turbine performance

The results of a Navier-Stokes analysis for predicting the change in turbine efficiency due to a change in either incidence or surface roughness is discussed. It was experimentally determined by Boynton, Tabibzadeh, and Hudson that polishing the SSME high pressure fuel turbine blades improved turbine efficiency by about 2 points over a wide range of operating conditions. These conditions encompassed the range of incidence seen by the turbine blading during flight. It is also necessary to be able to predict turbine performance at various operating points for future rocket turbopump applications. The code RVCQ3D, developed by Rod Chima, was used to determine the effects of changes in incidence angle on turbine blade row efficiency. The midspan Navier-Stokes results were used in conjunction with an inviscid flow analysis code to predict the efficiency of the two stage SSME over a wide range of operating conditions for smooth and rough turbine blades. The use of the Navier-Stokes analysis to predict changes in turbine efficiency due to variation in incidence angles was found to be superior to other incidence loss correlations available in the literature. The sensitivity of the Navier-Stokes results to grid parameters is discussed. The effects of the surface roughness were accounted for using the Cebeci-Chang rough wall turbulence model. This model was implemented in the code RVCQ3D. The implementation of this model for predicting the change in efficiency is also discussed.

Boyle, R. J.↗

Numerical Study of Lander Engine Plume Impingement on the Surface of Europa

Plume exhaust from lander engines would be of concern when landing on the surface of Europa since it could have detrimental effects on both the landing surface and powered descent vehicle. The plume could also entrain particles and redirect them up toward the landing vehicle, as well as erode and contaminate the surface where science would be conducted. In this work, a numerical methodology is developed and validated to conduct a first-order assessment of individual engine plumes of a potential Europa Lander vehicle. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to solve the flow field inside and immediately downstream of the nozzle, while the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is applied further downstream where the flow becomes rarefied. An interface between the two domains is defined where macroscopic flow data is passed from the CFD domain to the DSMC domain, establishing a one-way coupling. Plume pressure and velocity fields, as well as ground heating, pressure and density flux profiles, are obtained at altitudes from 25 m down to 10 m, spanning the final stages of landing. The codes and methodologies used in this study are successfully validated with simulations conducted by Morris et al. of the Apollo Lunar Module Descent Engine (LMDE) exhaust plume impinging onto the lunar surface.

Lam, Rebekah↗

Engineering flowfields and heating rates for highly swept wing leading edges

An engineering flow model is developed (and verified experimentally) which describes the flowfield that arises when a supersonic stream encounters a wedge/cylinder configuration whose angles are such that the flow includes only weak shock waves. A numerical code using the perfect gas relations is used to describe the flow in the plane of symmetry inboard of the shock interaction region. Theoretical surface-pressure and heat-transfer distributions are computed for freestream velocities ranging from 1167 to 7610 m/sec. Nondimensionalization of the heat-transfer rates in terms of local flow parameters produced a correlation of Stanton number as a function of the local Reynolds number, which is independent of the freestream flow conditions and of the surface temperature.

Bertin, J. J.↗

Distorted reflector antenna performance prediction technique

The application of a 3-D curve-fit technique to the electromagnetic analysis of reflector antennas is presented. the reflector antennas are described by the coordinates of an irregular distribution of measured points on the reflector surface. The reflector antenna analysis method used to calculate radiation patterns is geometric-optics with aperture-integration since an efficient and accurate computer code was readily available for modification.

Bailey, M. C.↗

Laser electro-optic system for rapid three-dimensional /3-D/ topographic mapping of surfaces

It is pointed out that the generic utility of a robot in a factory/assembly environment could be substantially enhanced by providing a vision capability to the robot. A standard videocamera for robot vision provides a two-dimensional image which contains insufficient information for a detailed three-dimensional reconstruction of an object. Approaches which supply the additional information needed for the three-dimensional mapping of objects with complex surface shapes are briefly considered and a description is presented of a laser-based system which can provide three-dimensional vision to a robot. The system consists of a laser beam array generator, an optical image recorder, and software for controlling the required operations. The projection of a laser beam array onto a surface produces a dot pattern image which is viewed from one or more suitable perspectives. Attention is given to the mathematical method employed, the space coding technique, the approaches used for obtaining the transformation parameters, the optics for laser beam array generation, the hardware for beam array coding, and aspects of image acquisition.

Altschuler, M. D.↗

Static and unsteady pressure measurements on a 50 degree clipped delta wing at M = 0.9

Static and unsteady pressures were measured on a 50.45 degree clipped delta wing in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel with Freon as the test medium. Data taken at M = 0.9 is presented for static and oscillatory deflections of the trailing edge control surface and for the wing in pitch. Comparisons of the static measured data are made with results computed using the Bailey-Ballhaus small disturbance code.

Hess, R. W.↗

Intrinsic adaptive mesh techniques

An alternating direction adaptive grid movement code was developed and a thesis adaptive angular meshes was directed. The alternating direction code was also established on the NASA Langley computer system and is available for use there. In essence, grid points are moved on an abstract surface above physical space by means of alternating coordinate directions. The abstract surface is formed with the salient solution properties if they can be extracted by a priori physical reasoning; or otherwise, in the absence of such reasoning, by the use of error estimates in some chosen norm. Upon formulation, all important driving properties for adaptive purposes are consolidated into one object - the abstract surface. At a basic level, a uniform distribution of surface points is equivalent to gradient resolution. This arises from a projection back down into physical space. At a higher level, a more accurate view of the abstract surface is obtained when changes in surface direction are also resolved. The appropriate measure for direction changes is normal curvature. It is defined as the rate of change of surface tangent planes as a surface coordinate curve is transversed in uniform increments of arc length.

Eiseman, P. R.↗

Boundary layer simulator (BLIMPJ) improvement

Improvements were made to advance the current Boundary Layer Integral Matrix Procedure - Version J (BLIMPJ) containing previously modeled simplified calculation methods accounting for surface roughness, relaminarization, and thick boundary layer effects. These improvements have potential applications in the design of the future Orbit Transfer Vehicles (OTV) engines. The coded wall roughness module was validated successfully against measured data from the LeRC 60-15 degree half-angle conical nozzle. The relaminarization model was modified to include wall cooling and roughness based on a set of test data from the same nozzle. The model was compared against typical data sets for validation in different flow regimes. The thrust loss calculation for thick boundary layer effects was computerized where the iterations between TDK and BLIMPJ proceeded automatically until convergence was achieved. An example is given for a typical OTV nozzle with an area ratio 1293.

Praharaj, S. C.↗